EAN 2022 | Ongoing research efforts to improve early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease

Tiago Outeiro, PhD, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany, outlines the key research areas that are looking to improve the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The development of assays that detect the ability of normal α-synuclein to form pathogenic inclusions will aid in distinguishing patients with PD from patients with other synucleinopathies. Imaging biomarkers are also an area of tremendous research, particularly the investigations looking for staining agents that allow the detection of α-synuclein in the brain. Over the last years, genetic tools have evolved immensely and provided the field with valuable information. In the future, the challenge will be to integrate the different types of approaches and markers. This interview took place at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) 2022 Congress in Vienna, Austria.